aroundabout
Specialityshops–smallandunique.
Thebuzzofthemarket,thebustleofthehighstreet.
Restaurantsandbars–somewheretoeat.MuseumsandGalleries–
somewheretomeet.
For further information:
King’s Cross Visitor Centre
Western Transit Shed
11 Stable Street
London
N1C 4AB
+44 (0)20 3479 1795
www.kingscross.co.uk
twitter.com/kingscrossN1C
[March 2015]
This is a time of considerable
investment in King’s Cross.
This investment builds on the
strengths of the area – adding to
renowned cultural institutions,
a wide range of shops and
restaurants, pockets of green
space and a diverse and dynamic
community. It brings new
services and amenities creating
more choice for those already
here but also attracting new
visitors, residents and workers.
EATING, DRINKING, SHOPPING
King’s Cross is fast establishing
itself as an exciting food
destination. There are plenty of
eateries to suit the pocket and
the palette – from the casual to
the elegant – and everything in
between.
At Granary Square,
popular favourites
Caravan and Grain
Store have recently
been joined by
Dishoom, while on
York Way the Greek Larder brings
a taste of the Mediterranean to
King’s Cross. Vinoteca has taken
a prime spot at Battle Bridge
Place or for a touch of continental
glamour, head to Plum + Spilt
Milk and GNH bar at the Great
Northern Hotel. Beyond, the local
area offers up everything from
Valencian paella at Camino to
canalside dining at Rotunda in
King’s Place. And of course KERB
continues to rustle up some of
London’s best street food week
day lunchtimes at Granary Square.
Caledonian Road and
the Regent Quarter
Caledonian Road - affectionately
known as the Cally Road - which
leads on to Regent Quarter, has
an invigorating mix of refurbished
CULTURAL SCENE
King’s Cross possesses an array
of cultural gems. These include
the Wellcome Collection, a
unique mix of galleries and events
focusing upon what it means
to be human. While the British
Library holds fragile treasures of
extraordinary antiquity, beauty
and of vital historic importance.
Contemporary art lovers can
head for the Gagosian Gallery and
Sartorial Contemporary Art, while
there are further galleries at Kings
Place, including the Pangolin Art
Gallery.
Kings Place also boasts two
world-class orchestras, the London
Sinfonietta and the Orchestra
of the Age of Enlightenment,
showcasing the best in both
classical and contemporary music.
There’s art house cinema at
the Renoir, dance at The Place,
while the legendary
live music, club and
arts venue The Scala
satisfies the alternative
arts scene.
The newly opened
Platform Theatre in
the Granary Building is
part of the University
of the Arts London.
The theatre regularly showcases
performances that experiment
with design and theatrical
technique.
And what’s more, due to King’s
Cross’ central location, you are
only a short walk away from the
Brunei Gallery and British Museum
near Russell Square and the Petrie,
Pollock Toy and Jewish Museums
of Camden.
Georgian and Victorian buildings
and state of the art new
constructions. This colourful
area has a selection of diverse,
often trendy shops, as well as
an exciting range of restaurants,
cafés and bars to tickle anyone’s
taste buds. For sustenance, try
the boutique gastropub The
Driver, and Canal 125, where
you can chill out on the terrace
overlooking the canal, enjoying
live music and DJs.
St Pancras International
The sleek new home of Eurostar
isn’t just for travellers. A range
of retailers offer fashion, beauty,
stationary, books and gifts – this
is station shopping, but not as
you know it. There’s
a superb selection of
popular food chains
like Benugo, Starbucks
and YO! Sushi and you
can also drop in on
less familiar outlets,
like Le Pain Quotidien,
Peyton and Byrne and
Fineburger Co.
St Pancras also boasts the
longest champagne bar in Europe,
and the glamorous Searcys at
St Pancras Grand. And if that
wasn’t enough, one of Britain’s
most celebrated chefs, Marcus
Wareing, runs the new Gilbert
Scott Restaurant at the St Pancras
Renaissance Hotel.
A RICH PAST
King’s Cross has a fascinating
history - from warrior Queen
Boudicca’s final battle with the
Roman legions to the marshalling
yards of the industrial revolution.
If you want to delve into the
history of King’s Cross, visit
the churchyard of the largely
Victorian St Pancras Old Church,
built upon what is
thought to be one
of the oldest sites of
Christian worship in
Northern Europe. The
restful churchyard
features architect
Sir John Soane’s
Mausoleum, inspiration
for the iconic red
telephone box.
The other side of the nearby
railway tracks reveals another
instant antidote to the hustle and
bustle of the metropolis which
also gives a nod to the past: the
London Wildlife Trust’s Camley
Street Natural Park, a delightful
oasis for birds, butterflies,
amphibians and plant life, created
from an old coal yard in 1984.
The restful churchyard
features architect
Sir John Soane’s
Mausoleum, inspiration
for the iconic red
telephone box.
The Regent’s Canal
flows past Camley Street
Natural Park. For more
than 100 years,
it has cut through the
northern section of the
King’s Cross estate.
An eclectic mix of
restaurants, cafés and
bars are emerging at
King’s Cross.
The Grade II listed
Brunswick Centre
allows you to shop,
eat and meet in
glorious surroundings.
Kings Place also
boasts two world-class
orchestras, the London
Sinfonietta and the
Orchestra of the
Age of Enlightenment.
King’s Cross Station
The beautifully refurbished King’s
Cross Station hosts numerous
delights including Giraffe, Leon
and Pret a Manger as well as
The Parcel Yard Bar and the
elegant bar and restaurant in
the Great Northern Hotel. While
shirt makers TM Lewin, trendy
American Apparel, Oliver Bonas
and the fine cosmetics at Kiehl’s
will keep you looking (and
smelling) your best.
There is plenty of scope to
trawl the street markets, such as
Chalton Street and its array of
stalls with cut-price fashion and
other goods or popular Camden
Market – just a mile away. Over
the next few years many more
shops and restaurants will appear,
from high street shopping on
King’s Boulevard to the quirky
mix of specialist and independent
retailers at the Coal Drops.
Two of Britain’s most
celebrated Victorian
structures are here.
The sleek new home of
Eurostar isn’t just for
travellers... St Pancras
boasts the longest
champagne bar in Europe.
EXPLORING THE
NEIGHBOURHOOD
Set in one of London’s most
historic and culturally exciting
villages, the Grade II listed
Brunswick Centre allows you to
shop, eat and meet in the glorious
surroundings of Bloomsbury.
You can indulge in some
serious retail therapy browsing the
eclectic offering of fashion and
home stores and later catch your
favourite film at the famous Renoir
art house cinema.
Next to the Brunswick Centre is
Coram’s Fields, a seven-acre oasis
of green – a children’s playground
and park with its very own city
farm. No adult can enter without
accompanying a
child. Adjacent is The
Foundling Museum,
originally a home for
abandoned children
established by 18th
Century campaigning
philanthropist, Captain
Thomas Coram.
Further north into Bloomsbury
is Woburn Walk, an attractive,
peaceful pedestrian street. Its
beautifully preserved bow-fronted
buildings were designed by
architect Thomas Cubitt in 1822.
A plaque on one of the buildings
marks the house of W B Yeats,
who lived here between 1895 and
1919. The small street is home
to restaurants, bookshops, and
galleries, and offers a pleasant
retreat from the noise and traffic
of nearby Euston Road.
AN EXCEPTIONAL
TRANSPORT HUB
King’s Cross St Pancras links
six London underground lines
with two national mainline train
stations. Add Euston mainline
station – just 500 yards away –
and you have a point of unrivalled
connectivity. King’s Cross St
Pancras is also London’s only
station with a direct line to
Europe. It is home to the hugely
successful Eurostar, which will be
joined in the next few years by the
German ‘ICE’ high speed service.
After a long journey, the range
of hotels in the area serve as
excellent resting stops - including
the delightfully original Rough
Luxe, and the colourful Meagro
Hotel. There’s also the sumptuous
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel,
truly a Gothic revival, and the
splendid Great Northern Hotel.
Two of Britain’s most
celebrated Victorian structures are
here: the St Pancras train shed and
the Midland Grand Hotel – now
St Pancras Renaissance. The train
shed was designed and engineered
by William Barlow and completed
Ambling along the towpath
If exploration is
what you crave, then
try a walk along
the Regent’s Canal
towpath. Once strictly
for business only, the
charming waterway
with its colourful
narrow boats and rich
bird life can now be
enjoyed by everyone.
The fantastic central
location of King’s Cross means
that you are never far from other
enticing London locations. For
example, a mile west and you
reach ever popular Camden
Lock; while a mile east takes
you to buzzing Islington and its
exceptional restaurants, theatres
and shops.
in 1868 - at the time it was the
largest single-span structure ever
built. The hotel across the front of
the station was built in 1877 to a
design by Sir George Gilbert Scott.
It was heralded at the time as a
‘grand’ destination for the thrilling
age of steam, and the striking
termination of the Midland
Railway’s new route.
King’s Cross was Britain’s
first intermodal transport
hub, combining rail, road
and canal, and today it
remains an outstanding focal
point for transport.
Granary Square © John Sturrock
Dishoom Godown © John Sturrock
Scala © C. Tallbot
Great Northern Hotel between King’s Cross Station and St Pancras International © John Sturrock
St Pancras International © John Sturrock
Regent Quarter © John Sturrock
Battlebridge Basin © John Sturrock
Kings Place © Sine Davidson
The King’s Library. Usage rights courtesy of the British Library.
St Pancras Old Church
© Sine Davidson
Sir John Sloane’s Mausoleum © Sine Davidson St. Pancras Grand Brasserie, Oyster and Champagne Bar.
Usage rights courtesy of Searcys
Eating Lunch in Granary Square © John Sturrock Wildlife on Regent’s Canal
© John Sturrock
Brunswick Centre
© Clive Sawyer
Regent’s Canal © John Sturrock
St Pancras Renaissance London Hotel © Bhandol/Alamy
Brunswick Centre © Alex Segre/Alamy
Reeds in Camley Street Natural Park. By Angela Inglis, courtesy of Troubador Publishing Ltd